Markus Chambers: On Racism, Giving Back to the Community, and Black History Manitoba

This podcast was recorded on the ancestral lands on Treaty One territory, the traditional territory of the Anishnawbe, Cree, Oji Cree, Dakota, and the Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis nation.

This is Humans, On Rights. A podcast advocating for the education of human rights.

Here's your host Stuart Murray.

On today's episode, I am joined by Councillor Marcus Chambers.

He is the first black person to be elected to City council in Winnipeg.

Good morning, Marcus.

Good morning, Stuart.

Thank you for having me this morning.

I'm very excited to have a chat with you.

Well, you know, as am I with you.

We've got some ground that we've covered off together, which we'll get to.

But what I'd love to start off with Marcus is a sense of who are you?

Where did you go to school?

I I know you're a Winnipeg ER, and I have the benefit of knowing a bit more about you than perhaps those who will be listening.

But give us a sense of who are you?

Where do you go to school and talk about your parents?

Give me a sense of who's Marcus Chambers?

Well, Marcus, chamber started in 1964 in Birmingham, England.

My parents had emigrated from Jamaica to England in 1955 part of that diaspora that left Jamaica to go to the UK for their post secondary education.

They met while travelling on the boat to the UK and courted shortly after, landed and got married and had all of us Children were born in the U.

K.

I was born a twin, but my twin sister passed away just before our first birthday.

We ended up immigrating to Canada in 1967.

That was Canada's centennial year, so I was three years old at the time.

So essentially, Winnipeg and Canada is all I've ever known in terms of cognitive thinking.

I graduated out of recoveries.

Collegiate attended both University of Winnipeg for one year and then transferred over to the University of Manitoba.

I had dreams and aspirations of pursuing law, but was also a student athlete at the time as well.

So I think it was my last year.

I I had broken my ankle just as I finished my undergraduate degree and took that year off, started working for the provincial government in youth care and I think my career took off from there.

I spent nine years with the Department of Family Services in the Income Assistance Programme before moving over to the Department of Labour and Immigration, where I spent the greater part of my career working for the provincial nominee programme, which was a great opportunity in the sense that it allowed me to actively bring skilled workers and business investment to our province and diversify our province Accordingly.

We travel throughout the world, as I said, recruiting skilled labour and seeing how other education systems are set up, seeing how other employment is set up and other cultures are designed and how that could fit in here in our province in our city.

So I really attribute a lot of that experience to building where I am now and being able to work, cross culturally with a wide variety of different cultures and different contexts and different backgrounds and feel it.

It has been vital in the role that I play now as a city councillor for sure.

So, Marcus, let me just ask you just to come back because anybody who's an athlete that breaks their ankle, what was that all about what sport were you playing that caused you to?

I was playing football and it was on a punt return where I was pulled down by the last person I was passing and our legs got tangled up.

My foot got planted in the turf, and when I fell back and just it snapped, that was eight weeks in a cast.

The first couple of weeks was in a cast where the front of it had no protection, and that was just to keep the swelling at bay.

And then once that half slab, they called it at the time came off.

I was casted basically from hip all the way down to the tippy toes.

Yeah, so walking across campus was a little bit prohibitive.

But once I did recover from that, I was only able to play more recreational e.

And then it was also at the time.

Shortly after that, I was getting married.

My wife didn't want to see me in any more cast if we were walking down, you know, doing our wedding march.

So yeah.

No, no.

You and for the dance afterwards, market, you've got to be there for that for sure.

So that's that's fascinating and interesting that you had a sort of a sense of going into law.

But you chose to go into more community service, which, you know, obviously you've had a great career in that.

Marcus, I'd love to just explore with you as a black man growing up in Winnipeg.

Did you ever have teachers in whether it's in high school or university that were non white?

I recall grade four.

I did have a teacher that was from Trinidad.

That was that Margaret Underhill School.

But that was also the same year that we moved from Trance Kona to, uh, East called on it.

And so I went from a school that had probably 300 students to a school that had maybe 90 students, and it was completely different.

Where we had moved to was very rural at the time.

Party lines.

If you remember party lines, it was the antenna on the top of the house to get TV reception.

We had well, water and septic tank.

It was very, very rural, so moving into a situation like that, my brother and I were the only two people of colour in our entire school, so it felt very differently.

And of course there was no black teachers in that school at all.

So it was an adjustment for both myself and my older brother.

But my parents, to their credit, kept us on the right track.

They did integrate us into the activities that Canadians did.

So during the winter time we played hockey during the summertime, we we played soccer.

Uh, and it wasn't until high school that I got interested in track and football.

That really allowed me to be part of something in terms of a team.

When you talk about integration, I'm part of something just like you are.

Yeah, yeah, And you know, it's fascinating because I I look at you today and and some of the accomplishments you have, which we'll touch on later.

But they're they're incredible.

Yet the notion that you grew up in an environment, Marcus, where as you say it was, you and your brother were the only two black people in that environment, and I think that's one of the challenges that, as we look on issues with, you know, George Floyd and some of the things that have become so evident and have been brought to the forefront and black lives, matter and justice for black lives.

It's starting to grow more and more upon those of us as being a white person.

Some of the challenges trying to at least understand Marcus, you know, not saying Okay, I can I understand it.

I'm trying to understand some of the challenges.

When did it occur to you that for whatever reason, that you were different in terms of your colour of skin?

Did that have an impact on you when you were younger, young man, growing up in or being in high school?

Did you Did you feel anything different or were you just because of your parents?

We're all part of the same world here.

Well, and that's a great question.

I think this is something that my parents had instilled in in all of us.

I have four older sisters and an older brother, and as I mentioned, I was born a twin, and so I actually had five sisters.

And this is something that routinely my parents would instil in us is that we would have to work harder, significantly harder to be recognised as equal.

I didn't understand at the time that it was attributed to the colour of my skin.

I just thought as an individual that I would have to work harder.

It wasn't until and throughout elementary school and junior high school.

I did note that I was different by colour.

But it wasn't until Grade 10 or Grade 11 or high school that I recall.

And this was something that was happening in the United States in Atlanta, where I had family, where and if you can recall that time in history.

There was a series of abductions and murders where the perpetrator was killing young black men, and they found the bodies in the Chattahoochee River.

And I remember being bullied around that.

And it was something that I didn't understand why people who were my friends or acquaintances were so cruel or so mean about that.

You know, people were losing their lives and families were losing loved ones, and and they were kind of mocking it and joking about it and saying that I should go down to Atlanta, and that's what I really felt at that time.

What was the burden of my colour?

Yeah, and would you say, Marcus, that you felt bullied?

Or would you say that it occurred to you that there were people in the world that we now know very well as Racists?

Yeah.

And I was more enlightened.

I would say when I did Start University and I recall writing a paper for a sociology of law class that I that I was taking.

And at that time again, affirmative action was huge in the vernacular, and I wrote actually an opposing opinion on affirmative action and saying that it's something that I I carry to this day and recently had the opportunity to push forward in terms of what's called the nameless Resume.

I presented that motion that council and I firmly believe that if there is an opportunity to assess an individual based on their skills and experiences and that individual happens to be black or of colour or of a minority, then it's a win win.

But to select an individual to meet a quota is essentially tokenism and something that I don't agree with because it lowers the bar and doesn't serve a community.

Well, yeah, yeah, And speaking of serving a community, well, I just have to sort of just pivot here for just a second and just give a shout out to your father.

Your pastor, Father.

I watched him when they did the launch of Black history, which is now black history.

Manitoba Black History Month at the beginning of February and a remarkable man and and the fact that he could be so powerful, Virtually I can't imagine, you know, living in the same household Marcus as as him.

And watching him sort of lead the community, you must feel extremely proud of him.

Well, I'm 58.

Dad is 52 if that.

But he's certainly somebody that I look up to throughout my adult life and my mother, who is a very strong black woman, and raised my sisters and I and my brother to respect others and to work hard to receive their respect as well.

Yeah, and And thank you for bringing your mother.

I haven't had the honour of meeting her.

Certainly your father, I've had a chance.

And as I said, just his, uh, his presence was so eminent, so incredible.

And so it's pretty clear as I watch you.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree even though the dynamics might be for some of us together.

Totally for sure.

Okay, so you know, you spend a lot of time.

Once you graduated, you've been in the community.

You've helped people in marginalised situations.

You've helped on the immigration programme.

As you say, The nomination programme here in Manitoba.

What was the the modus operandi, or what made you decide that you you wanted to enter the ultimate sort of community service, if you will, and get into political life as a counsellor?

They have that saying.

Sometimes you pick an opportunity.

Sometimes the opportunity picks you.

And I think this is certainly one that that picked me during my career in the provincial government had always been asked to consider running at a you know, whether it was federally or provincially.

Municipal politics hadn't even entered the fray.

But when my sons were younger, I felt that it was more important for me to be ever present in their life, just like my parents were in mind.

And I committed to ensuring that I was part of their academic life in terms of school.

And there were recreational life in terms of sports and not just dropping them off at their different events, but actually participating, whether it was as a coach or manager or whatever way I could be involved, to ensure that they knew that I was present in their life again, academically or recreationally.

So my sons are now my older son turns 27 this month.

In a couple of weeks, my younger one be turning 23 in May, and I felt that at the time I decided to run.

It's my time and, you know, having a degree in political science and sociology.

Politics was always in my blood and watching my father again, not only from his experience in the church as a pastor but also his community activism, whether it was working in our local community.

As I mentioned, we moved to East called Alone in the Street.

That we moved on was near what is now Harborview, and they had a dump nearby, and my father was very active and we're working in the community to ensure that the city of Winnipeg met their obligations to ensure that the groundwater would not become contaminated with methane and worked very actively with area residents and then working in his church community as well.

Uh, so seeing that type of activism inspired me.

And so when it became my time, you know, in terms of my son's becoming of age, I also looked at the opportunity, and it was presented to me during black history Month of 2017 or 2018 that year that, you know, I should consider running for the vacant position of ST Norbert Saint River, which was award that was split off from the other two awards that that Janice Lukes and Brian Mays had.

So opportunity certainly picked me for this in the sense that it is a politics is about timing.

And there was no incumbent in this ward.

And with my kids being the right age, I said, Okay, this is something that I want to do.

And I've thoroughly enjoyed it since being elected.

Yeah, no.

And it shows that we're gonna we're gonna spend a bit of time talking about that because you and I actually sit on a committee of council together that your your vice chairing and we'll speak about that.

But, you know, the first time that you and I met, I was involved with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

And and I remember meeting some of the people in the community who were part of the capital campaign to, of course, led by Gail Asper.

But so many people involved.

And you were one of the first people that I met on that campaign.

And yeah, you were what we what?

Did you spend nine or 10 years at it, Marcus?

10 years.

10 years?

You're one.

I'm sure you thought.

OK, I'll do this for maybe a year or two and then, you know, But there you are.

10 years and you made a significant impact on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights through the community fundraising that you so passionately did year after year after year.

What made you get involved in the friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights?

Oh, that that was simple.

That was simple.

First of all, I had the opportunity to work with Gail Asper while she served as campaign chair for the United Way of Winnipeg, which was one of the organisations that I spent six years participating on as well from 2000 and 2 to 2000 and eight and getting involved First of all, it's an honour to be asked to sit on the board of trustees for the United Way of Winnipeg.

It's a great agency here in the city and then to sit around a table with so many luminaries and industry captains.

I I felt a little bit intimidated, but also I felt valued in the sense that they were seeking my opinion out with respect to.

And at that time I was just knew in my career and immigration, and they wanted somebody that had the voice of the newcomer community, and and so I felt honoured in just being asked questions while sitting at that table.

And then, you know, through that work, Gail had talked about the friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

And that's where again opportunity picks you.

Because with my background in sociology and political science and studying US history, human rights was something that I've always been passionate about.

So this was an opportunity now to to utilise you know what I had learned and my interest towards something that I would see starting from the ground and building on that here locally in the city of Winnipeg.

So It was a no brainer for me to be part of that campaign.

I did question what I had to offer in terms of.

I know they were trying to raise huge sums of money as this was a huge undertaking.

What could I do to be of value?

So one of my passions is golf, and I thought, you know, let me start a golf tournament and we started drive for the stars.

And it was grassroots in the sense that we were able to start with a little seed and plant that seed and let it germinate.

That's how we spread it among people who weren't million dollar donors but could afford to provide 250 or 1000 or what have you, and over the course of dr for the start to raise close to $150,000 which is incredible for this community.

Not only that, you know, Marcus, but I think you talk about giving sort of like a grassroots opportunity.

I think it also did another thing, and it brought people who may just be interested in golf with some friends to get connected to what you were trying to be a part of which is this Canadian museum for human Rights.

I a lot of people wouldn't know.

What does it mean?

They've heard about it.

It sounds reasonable, but every tournament of which I was able to participate in, you always made sure that people were connected to the cause, understanding that that was really, really well done.

And you must feel great about it because it was really, really a lot.

I mean, hard, hard work for 10 years.

You talk about a decade, but look at the results that you did.

So you must when you reflect upon that and then every time you happen to drive by or go inside the building, you must feel pretty good.

No, I do, I do.

But there's also a by product that has happened and something that I think I'm very, very proud of.

My sons were able to watch what I went through in organising those events and and what they represented and and I might get a little teary here.

But both my sons have really taken up the charge to give back to their community, and that's what's been important to me.

My older son is very active in his employment with connecting his roots and heritage, especially through Black History month.

My younger son did the sleep out challenge with solemn mission, addressing homelessness and throughout the pandemic has raised just delivered £3000 of food to sell omission, aiding Hope and Salvation Army.

And it's an incredible milestone for them at such a young age at 22 26 to accomplish that and think about their community.

So I'm hoping that they have taken that initiative not only from me but from their mom, who's also involved in in the community and looking at what their grandparents have done and now taking their time in the sun to give back to the community.

Uh, that's what I'm incredibly proud of.

Well, you you demonstrated that clearly both your mother and father demonstrated that to you.

You pass it down and I can sense in your voice, and I can see why you would be proud of that.

Because you know, more than ever now, as you sit as a city councillor, you're you're an ultimate servant of the public, the importance of community, the importance of giving back the importance of understanding that we're only as strong as the person on each side of us that makes that difference in terms of giving back.

I want to talk a little bit about the role that you find yourself in now as a as a counsellor.

And I'm going to just make reference on my notes here because I know that you are on the standing policy committees finance, water, Waste river and banks innovation.

And you are now the police board chair as well as you and I.

I mean, you and the mayor chair this co chair, but the Human Rights Committee of Council.

That's a tremendous portfolio, particularly the deputy mayor's position.

Marcus.

What's in the day of the life of a counsellor named Marcus Chambers?

Start us off first thing wants to get out of bed.

Well, my phone is plugged in right beside my bed and get my news feed soon as I wake up to see what's going on on the way in, I'm trying to listen on the radio stations that will provide an indication of what's going on.

One of the things that I didn't anticipate we all didn't anticipate was this global pandemic and what the impacts would be not only to our city or province in our country, but worldwide.

So it has been such an incredible learning experience.

Especially this last year when Mayor Bowman tapped me to become deputy mayor.

I was incredibly excited.

But again, what value can I add?

You know, the I'm so new to this, but he allowed me to explore the things that were passionate to me and passionate to my community.

And when I say my community, I'm talking not only the black community, but I'm talking to community that I represent in terms of ST Norbert seen River so easily.

It was a situation of drinking from a firehose those first days when I got on it, probably the first year when I got on just being part of the budget working group and, you know, serving at that time as vice chair of the police board and serving on the different committees after that first year, it's still drinking from a firehose, but at least I'm able to control the nozzle and the flow of the information, the flow of all of the things that council is responsible for having the right person and as an assistant.

And I'm going to give out a shout out to my my assistant, David Van Bulla, who has organised my office.

To the extent where I don't have to second guess you know what's going on.

He's tackled it, and that's made me more successful as a city councillor and now sitting on as chair of the Winnipeg Police Board and seeing the social justice movements that has taken place as a result of what's happened.

The United States and here in Canada, the killing of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor and others and here in our own city that we have to be held accountable for in terms of changing the way policing is done and this institutionalised practises that are part of our society and part of policing.

That's important to me and important to others who have shared their own experiences on why we need to evolve policing to reflect what our community now looks like in terms of diversity and inclusion.

So Mark is just on that for a second, you bring up the murder of George Floyd, which was so evident the world saw it and reacted to it in many ways.

There's always this notion of people talking about issues called, you know, defund the police.

And one of the challenges I think that you face when you're in elected politics is that people come up with kind of titles to fund the police.

Okay, so what does that mean?

You know where there's a conversation around that I, you know, I think that that's one of the areas that is always a challenge.

I just will tell you very quickly when I spent time working for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and he brought in free trade and people would sort of say, Oh wow, great.

So now we don't have to claim anything.

You know, we were always kind of doing the small little lie as we were going across.

No, we didn't buy anything, you know, wearing three coats and all that sort of stuff saying, Oh, we don't have to claim anything.

Well, it's not quite, but, you know, that was that name, gave that or conjured that idea, and you get into this defund the police and people sort of jumped to conclusions, and I think it's fantastic that somebody with your background in the community and who you are as amount of colour to be involved in that.

So can you just share with us?

Sort of some of the hopes that might come out of this with you being involved in that capacity?

Well, the whole defunding police, I see.

And this is my own opinion and I'm hoping that as I share this, they'll be that understanding.

I see the issues of systemic racism and institutionalised practise that marginalised communities as being very distinctly different than the whole defunding police movement.

The defunding police, I think more speaks to the fact that police are actually responding to calls that are better served by other agencies, such as dealing with mental health addictions, homelessness, youth at risk, families at risk.

And if there was agencies that dealt with that in terms of a 911 response or a 2111 response that the calls for service would decrease and accordingly, the need to have a police complement of 1300 members would decrease as well, and that's where the cost savings would come in and those dollars to be allocated towards other resources such as preventative measures such as community services.

So making sure that kids and youth have enough activities and options to be involved with that lead to better outcomes for them.

When I look at Asia Hudson, that's a classic example.

If there were more community services in place to help her connect with her community, I'm certainly outcome would be different than what we saw last April.

So again, I see it as two different distinct movements again trying to deal with anti racism, the institutionalised practises that have marginalised communities, and then the piece of calls for service that need to be aligned to a proper service agency and very, very well put.

Marcus, I would ask, if you feel that the way that you so eloquently have put this.

Is there a place for the public to find the opportunity to hear that, or to share that?

Because I think there's you're you're always going to find people that might disagree on the edges of different things, and that's fine.

That's what democracy is about.

But I think what you've put forward is what I've heard.

A lot of people say, you know, you've summed it up very eloquently, but I think sometimes people feel that, Well, I I don't know where I can put my voice or where can I share what I feel or that that importance?

Or just as importantly, how can you talk about in your role?

Here's how I see this and then get the community engaged.

Well, and that's when when Mayor Bowman asked me to step up as chair of the Winnipeg police board, one of the things that I did was first of all have a discussion with the board and again because of all of the social justice movements that I had been going on throughout the summer months.

And here in Winnipeg, the black lives matter movement of well over 15,000 people that attended at the Legislature and marched to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, I asked the board.

I said, We've got to do more due diligence in responding to this and not just pay lip service.

So this iteration of the board with me as the chair I want to commit ourselves to more dialogue to seeking out groups that we haven't previously spoken with to get their valuable input and not just dismissing some groups as extremist or fringe but actually listening and validating the concerns that they have and seeing how we can work towards a common ground, because I think it's going to better serve all of us, not just those that are marginalised, but all of us in our community, if we're treated with the respect and dignity as citizens of this great city, and our police are actually going to be more satisfied in their career choice as police officers, because I'm hearing from police officers whether they're active serving members or retired members, and seeing things that are in the public right now that they're not happy with and that this isn't what they signed on to do when they decided to become a police officer.

So I think it serves both sides and that it doesn't create that mentality of us.

Vs them the blue line versus the community that we're all in it together and so police.

We need police in our community.

They're not going away.

So in addressing this they have to be part of the solution and part of the conversation as well, right?

Right.

And and I love that and I want to just go to your something you picked up, you're gonna make me read because it was on your website and you talked about the fact that you wanted to be part of a city hall that's visionary and forward thinking.

And I think what you have just laid out in these conversations is exactly that.

Are you feeling your time getting settled in in your role in your numerous roles at at City Hall Market?

So you're feeling that there's a level of comfort and understanding how you might be able to enact some of those elements of forward thinking and visionary opportunities at City Hall?

Yeah, And now that I'm very much more familiar with the way the process is, the individuals, the stakeholders, I try to work in a very collaborative space.

I don't have all the answers.

I don't have all the solutions.

We can work together and and seek them out.

And that's where I right now, in terms of being comfortable with knowing what the processes are, knowing the stakeholders and just being able to connect people together.

To have those conversations, I think, is part of the best assets that I can contribute in finding those issues of common ground and then finding the solutions out of those common grounds where we can come together or come to consensus on.

So I think that's one of the greatest values that I have and where I'm very much more comfortable in working as a city councillor is working in a very collaborative space.

You clearly exude that, and in your answers and in your actions, frankly, how would you explain to somebody who would say if the issue of systemic racism comes up just in a general conversation and people would say, Well, you know what?

I know that there are people that get bullied or there are people that are maybe marginalised, but I don't think there's systemic racism.

You know that.

You hear that comment quite often and it seems to be so difficult for people to sort of admit that.

And, you know, I would say as uh, somebody who is a white male, that that is part of my conversation, to really understand, what does that mean?

And I'm learning more about this term that you've got to start to unlearn some of the things.

But from your perspective, Marcus as a black man of community leader.

Why do you think it's so difficult for people to admit that there is systemic racism?

That's a great question, and I think it does go back to that.

We want to believe the best about ourselves and about our society and our community.

I've had the opportunity to connect with Donovan Bailey on LinkedIn, and he's very inspirational as well.

In terms of the conversation about racism here in Canada, he's acquainted as racism with a smile.

Right?

So it is that those micro aggressive actions that that I see on a daily basis and those are the things that as they add up, it does weigh on your mental health and well being as a person of colour.

It's never going to be, you know, and I talked about being bullied in some racist actions back in the day.

But it's those micro aggressive actions now that again really start to add up and chip away at your psyche.

When I think back to just before George Floyd in that unfortunate incident, I think it was the Sunday before Chris Cooper was in New York City Park birdwatching and came upon Amy Cooper, who was no relation but was walking her dog and he asked her to leash your dog because the area that they're in is a protected area.

And she turned around and weaponised his race against him by saying she was going to call the police and they would do whatever because she felt threatened and she was a white woman and she was a white woman.

And so, you know, for myself who is educated and I'd like to say articulate, I would probably be more representational of a Chris Cooper that I would be of a George Floyd and so recognising that could happen to me and is more likely to happen to me, right gives me pause for concern.

And so it's those micro aggressive actions that on the daily and now we're also dealing with covid and the isolation.

What I've done is associated myself with a support group of black men who we try to connect every week or every two weeks just to share with each other and check in with each other.

A meeting later on today with Andrew Harris, the running back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who created the check and challenge and in part it is that where we're checking in with one another and ensuring that our mental health and well being is being taken care of so that we're not feeling bad about ourselves because of the colour of our skin feeling isolated, you know that we have each other to rely on to uplift each other and accordingly uplift our families.

Yeah.

No, that's such a great thing.

And I've I've had a chance to sort of watch some of the things that Andrew is doing in the community.

And I I must tell you, I think that I've got you so focused on this, this whole issue of systemic racism and it's such great things to hear your voice.

But the point, I just want to sort of take a little bit of a poke at you.

As you mentioned, you're going to meet with Andrew Harris, Great Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bomber.

Andrew Harris member, right?

I mean, I know that you're such a huge booster.

Always see you wearing your bomber stuff.

So it's so great.

Yeah, I mean, again, you know, you have these these leaders in our community and good for you for talking about that and making that happen.

I want to just pick your brain a little bit on how you think the importance of moving Black History Month to become black history.

Manitoba.

Just cheer your thoughts on that, if you will.

For me, it's always been about education.

I think that is derived from my upbringing.

My parents always talked about education being the great equaliser, And so, with the fact that black education is not taught in the Canadian curriculum, it's something that we pay a particular emphasis on.

In the month of February, I partnered with the Black History Manitoba Group to design a T shirt that on the front of it, it says, know their names and then on the back.

It is inventors whose innovations or inventions have helped not only the black community but mankind.

When we look at the elevator, the traffic like the cell phone, the process of plasmapheresis, separation from blood products, the cotton gin.

All of these inventions were done by black inventors.

But their names are not widely known, and as a result, some of that history is lost.

So we have to educate the entire community to know that throughout the years, there have been contributions by the black community that have gone to help mankind and that ties our past.

You know, by having those names on the back of a T shirt, which we're hoping to hand out to thousands and thousands of school Children at no cost so that they can share that information and disseminate it to a wider network.

But also looking at our black businesses are black owned businesses and through their spirit of entrepreneurialism, their current contributions towards economic growth and stability here in our city province and throughout our country.

What a great thing, Marcus, can you just give a shout out if somebody is listening?

If they want to get one of these T shirts, how might they do that?

And I'll also post it on my website, as I'm sure it's on yours.

Well, yeah, and I'm just gonna go off camera here for a second, because I do have the T shirts.

Andrew Harrison, as I said, are going to model these T shirts.

He more than me.

So this is what it looks like.

Their names and black inventors.

And then on the back on the reverse is the names of the inventors.

So again, this is a great way of disseminating that that education of their collection is not fantastic as we sort of wrap this up.

Marcus, I've always admired you for what you've been able to do and how you've been able to sort of position yourself.

You are clearly a leader in the community.

And as I sit on the, uh, the Human Rights Committee of Council with you and Mayor Bowman, I look at some of the activities and how you're challenging us to do initiatives where you're encouraging people to citizens to sit on boards and commissions to get involved to get active.

And and I think that that's one of many, many things that in terms of your leadership that we're fortunate to have as you take your position at City Hall.

So I thank you for your your public service and thank you for what you've done and what you've done in the community, as they say.

I'm a little bit biassed because you you did a tremendous job at the Canadian Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when I was there and I saw you in action and you're a force to be reckoned with.

So thank you so much for that.

I wanted to just sort of on a call to action, way to sort of conclude this market to see if there's any movie or documentary.

You would say, You know, these are if you want to talk about whether it's systemic, racism, racism, leadership, anything at all.

If there's a movie or a documentary might sort of say, Here's one I'd I'd recommend.

Yeah, great question.

In terms of movies, I was really impacted by the movie Mississippi burning when that came out.

And I remember just actually sitting in the theatre after the movie had ended and how impossible it was for me and again being brought to tears.

And then, more recently, the movie Selma, You know, we lost John Lewis in 2020.

But just seeing how he had an impact on race relations in the United States and and the struggles through the sixties fifties sixties seventies and now 2000 and 20 I've said publicly that some of these social justice movements that we've had of recent have been some of the largest in modern day history.

And so those two movies for me really had an impact.

Mississippi burning in the movie Selma in terms of what they represented as the struggle.

It's almost that, you know, we march in unison and we lock elbows and we try to move forward, step by step, and then things happen to bring us two steps backwards.

But we need to be persistent and continue moving forward together.

I also recognise, in terms of our Jewish community and the rise of anti Semitism, and want to work with our Jewish brothers and sisters, too, to recognise that we need to continue on together and work through this struggle so that we can be recognised as equals and be recognised for the value that we all bring to our collective communities.

But to the wider community at large as well.

Well said on that that image of being, you know, locked arm in arm, moving as once.

That's extremely powerful.

Thank you for sharing that I'm going to ask you the same question about a book.

Is there a book that you would recommend or that you might suggest?

People that are listening should check out if you've never had the opportunity to read Langston Hughes.

I highly recommend it.

A lot of his poetry, his freestyle.

There's so much value in his content.

I recommend it to anybody, whether you're a young black man seeking to find your way, whether you're white individual that wants to feel some strong and very visceral emotions.

Langston Hughes is is a good reader.

I don't know this.

So I'll ask you, what's American Canadian background?

Okay, that's excellent.

I you know, just when you mentioned poetry, of course, Amanda Gorman just sort of, you know, incredible.

But But how great is it?

You know that poetry is so meaningful.

So that's that's a great recommendation.

I appreciate that.

And I'm gonna end on if there's a musical artist that, in the same way that has impacted you, has had a strong message.

Er, you would sort of say to somebody, Here's a Here's an artist.

I'd recommend you listen to, you know, growing up in a Christian household, we listened to a lot of gospel music for me, B B and C C.

Winans again, very soulful music.

I don't listen.

Unfortunately, I don't listen to a lot of rap, but I do listen to a lot of R and B.

Like I said, B B and C.

C.

Winans is their Their music is very impactful as well.

And there us as well.

I also listen to Bob.

Marty.

The Redemption song is a great song of human, the human struggle in human history.

So those are two artists that would definitely listen to Yeah, great suggestion.

I appreciate that.

I, you know, I personally also love gospel music.

I think it has so much spirit and so much energy.

And and the message is always strong regardless of the artist.

So I'm going to check this out.

So you've given me.

You've given me to do Marcus, and I thank you.

So I just want to say thank you for finding some time to chat today on my podcast.

Humans on rights.

You've been a wonderful guest that you're a great community leader.

Your runway in front of you is is clearly going to be something that we'll all be watching and thank you for what you've done.

And thank you for your time today.

Thank you, Stuart.

And I'm looking at the jersey behind you, and I'm I'm hoping that's the one with Jerome Iginla signature on it as well, which again?

Seeing black people and brown people now being part of that great Canadians, Ford hockey.

I mean, it makes my heart saying it's part of the inclusion package that we, as immigrants who come to this country idealise that says we can participate in anything that we want to try and, you know, hasten that opportunity to become Canadian.

So thank you for interviewing me.

You're an individual that I've I've always respected and admired.

And to have the opportunity and honour to be interviewed by you.

Thank you very much.

You've You've made my day today.

You're very generous.

So I know this that before we started, your phone rang at least three times.

So you put it on silent.

So I can't imagine how many messages you had since you've been talking.

But go out and continue to the great work you're doing again.

Thank you very much, Marcus Chambers.

Thank you.

Take care.

Humans on Rights is recorded and hosted by Stuart Murray Social Media Marketing by the Creative team at full current and Winnipeg Thanks also to trick seem a bit you in music by Doug Edmund.

For more go to human rights hub dot c, a production of the Sound Off Media company.

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